"Material World" Interview with Evan Dando
From NME 27th February 1993
Where are you and
what are the vibes like?
In a hotel in Kensington. The vibes are stoned.
What's in your luggage?
My bags went missing in transit, so all I have in the world is some
cigarettes, three Lemonheads T-shirts and a copy of Life magazine with
Charles Manson on the cover.
Last video you rented
John Waters' Polyester. We watched it in the van.
Last good book you
read
My Place by Sally Morgan. She's a partly Aboriginal Australian, and
it's about finding her roots. It's really funny, also very sad, and
it's very well written.
First record you
bought
I'd been getting by listening to my parents' records for years, so it
happened fairly late. It was a weird bootleg of the first Jonathan Richman
recordings on Mohawk Records. I was 13.
What do you think
of Bill Clinton?
I'm not a political guy. I can only hope for the best. He's better than
George Bush anyway; Bush mixed blood and money far too easily. Clinton
may very well get shot.
What did you think
of The Word?
It was really fun - just like a gig. I thought it was going to suck,
and it was great - especially when she got our introduction wrong.
Fave Simon &
Garfunkel song
'April Come She Will'
Fave Dustin Hoffman
film
I'll say Tootsie. I really like The Graduate, but that's too obvious
isn't it? I'm really worried about the sequel.
Are you attracted
to older women?
Surely. They can excite me.
How much does it
take to get you drunk?
I get drunk on two beers. Then I just get drunker and drunker.
Fave male pin-up
Johnny Depp. He happens to be in that predicament and he's a good friend
of mine.
Three bad things
about Boston
1) In general, the people aren't willing to talk to strangers
2) You can't take a left off Boylston Street onto the Mass Pike and
get out of town
3) The hypocrisy - a lot of people pretend they're not racist, when
it's actually a very racist place.
Describe Juliana
Hatfield in three words
Honest, dedicated, pure.
Who is Ray and why
is it a shame about him?
Ray is a pretentious idea of the everyman. It's a shame about him because
human nature can be quite a disturbing thing to look into.
Favourite folk band
Richard & Mimi Farina.
Describe Ice Cube
in three words
Tasty, large, honest.
How does it feel
to be a sex symbol?
It feels like a stomach-ache.
What's your message
to the people left on the pavement outside Ronnie Scott's?
Sorry! I was just doing what I was told. That's a lame excuse I know,
but they told me they'd call the cops if I played out there and I was
too tired to deal with them.
Name a record that
can make you cry
'Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow' - The Shirelles.
Three good things
about the UK
The Grove Cafe on Portobello Road; the Camden Brasserie; the Columbia
Hotel, which I know is a cliché, but I love it.
What do you think
about Charles and Di seperating?
It denotes a very strange moment in history. It has a lot to do with
both the last full moon and the breakdown of our civilisation. I hope
it will mean an emphasis in the future ofn non-violence as the first
priority of the human race.
Which records can
make you dance?
'Heatwave' - Martha Reeves and the Vandellas; 'She Watched Channel Zero'
- Public Enemy; 'Lust For Life' - Iggy Pop
Who's underrated?
Nate Kato from Urge Overkill. He's the new Frank Sinatra; he should
be the biggest pop star on the planet.
Current catchphrase
"Tea, toast and turmoil".
Who's overrated?
Santa Claus
Favourite historical
figure
Charles Manson, I guess, but the word 'favourite' seems kinda innappropriate.
I'll play safe and say Aretha Franklin.
Worst job you've
ever had
A Racket Jerk in a tennis shop at a country club. I had to assign game
times and clean the courts. It was terrible.
Who would be in your
dream band?
Charlie Watts on drums; Geezer Butler (of Black Sabbath - HM ed) on
bass; Eric Dolphy (unlistenable woodwind player - jazz ed) on bass clarinet;
Jad Fair on vocals It would probably sound awful.
Fave heavy metal
band
Black Sabbath
Worst lyric you've
ever heard
"You are the sun, you are the rain/That makes my life this foolish
game/You need to know I love you so/And I'll do it all again and again"
- Lionel Richie.
Fave Boston bands
The Modern Lovers, Dinosaur Jr, The Remains.
Motto for 1993
Peace, baby.
What do you think
of Manic Street Preachers?
I'd like to check them out. It's a great name.
What scares you?
Cops who would rather by violent than make a statement that rings out
peacefully into the world. There are great cops out there, but the ones
who want to beat people up for the sake of it are really frightening.
Who's a slacker?
James Taylor, the nephew of the James Taylor, who wrote 'Sweet
Baby James' about him. He lives in Los Angeles, and he's a wonderful,
very intelligent guy who's completely content. He wakes up in the morning
and doesn't need to do anything. He just hangs out.
Name one good thing
about Macaulay Culkin
He's a cute kid
Is Morrissey any
good?
Of course he is. It took me a while to grasp his humour, but now I really
like him. When I was on Top Of The Pops, I decided to slip in an impression
of him (proceeds to sing a very impressive 'Mrs Robinson' a la Moz).
Formative adolescent
experiences
Me and my old bass player took off from our high school beach party
in a sailboat. The band was just starting out, we were really excited,
and we sailed across the bay and just hung out - it's a beautiful memory.
I also travelled to Costa Rica when I was 18 and did a lot of cocaine.
What was it like
being a student?
I lasted one semester. I got one D minus and four Fs and spent all my
money on drugs. I wanted to be good at English, but my teacher was an
asshole. I ended up saying "f___ this" and drove away in a
snowstorm.
What did ecstacy
do for you?
It was something that was very worthwhile for me, because it taught
me that you have to be reverent towards life. Life is so amazing; you
breathe in oxygen, it filters into your blood, which goes into your
body and you can walk around, get a drink and meet a girl I don't advise
other people to do it, beacuse they might not react that way.
Have you ever been
camping?
Sure. When I was a kid, I think my parents wanted to get rid of me,
so they sent me half way up a mountain with a friend and his girlfriend.
There's an outboard motor company in America called Evinrude, and I
was so hyperactive on that holiday that Evinrude became my nickname.
Are
you going to get your hair cut?
I doubt it. I don't even care how it looks any more. It just feels good.